Meet Our Devoted Team Members

	Bobbi Brink: Volunteer - Founder/Director/Lions Tigers & Bears Chief Executive Officer Ms. Brink began working with ranch animals and riding horses at eight years old and was active in the 4-H Club throughout her school years. She began her personal involvement with exotic big cats in 1992, after seeing the horrible abuses and neglect inflicted on captive exotics. Ms. Brink plays an active role in all aspects of managing Lions, Tigers & Bears, from daily feedings to office management. She is a prolific fundraiser and tireless advocate for abused and displaced wildlife. In addition, Ms. Brink is very active in local planning groups, Soroptimist and Rotary Clubs. Both she and Lions, Tigers & Bears have won multiple awards and recognition for leadership and public service from the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and the California State Assembly.
	Mark Brink: Volunteer - Lions Tigers & Bears Board Chief Financial Officer/Construction Volunteer - Lions Tigers & Bears Board Chief Financial Officer/Construction Mr. Brink, in addition to running his own full-time business specializing in truck door lettering, vehicle grpahics, and fleet lettering, oversees all construction projects at Lions, Tigers & Bears with a true hands-on approach. His expertise can be seen in virtually every building and enclosure on the property. Mr. Brink also serves as Chief Financial Officer on the Board of Directors.
	Julie Schuettenhelm - Volunteer - Lions Tigers & Bears Board Vice President/Animal Caretaker/Merchandise Coordinator - Volunteer - Lions Tigers & Bears Board Vice President/Animal Caretaker/Merchandise Coordinator Ms. Schuettenhelm, a Certified Nurse Assistant and Medical Assistant, spent the last 11 years prepping operating rooms, assisting in surgery, and coordinating quality assurance programs for human clients. She now brings that medical acumen to her new charges at Lions, Tigers and Bears. In addition to the daily care of our residents, which includes preparing appropriate diets and nutritional supplements, she assists in medical procedures and examinations in our on-site medical facility. Ms. Schuettenhelm also serves on the Board of Directors.
	April Schumsky - Volunteer - Lions Tigers & Bears Board Secretary/Events
	Jackie Smith - Volunteer - Board Member/Grant Writer/Events Ms. Smith has over 20 years experience in the hospitality field, with key positions in purchasing, hotel renovation and project management. An English major in college, she also has a strong background in writing proposals, contracts, advertising copy and media releases. In the 8 years since she became affiliated with Lions, Tigers & Bears, she has performed amny functions, including fundraising, event co-chairperson, media relations, and writing/editing newsletters, collateral materials and news releases. She currently spends her time writing grants and assists with other writing projects as needed. Ms. Smith also serves on the Board of Directors.
	Barbara Cain - Volunteer - Animal Care Taker Barb Cain has volunteered at Lions, Tigers and Bears since its beginning in 2002. She and her husband Mel own and operate Utility Helicopters, Inc. and have been involved in the helicopter industry for over 40 years. Mel and Barb Cain have a passion for and love of animals. Their helicopter company specializes in Aerial Animal Capture. Using helicopters and net guns they have captured and relocated Mountain Goats, Bighorn Sheep, Burros, Deer, Elk, Cattle, Golden Eagles, among others, throughout the United States and Mexico for 30 years. They have worked for the U.S. Parks Department, California Fish and Game, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Navy, Bighorn Sheep Institute, and, and the Fund for Animals, to name a few. Barb assists in the daily feeding and health assessment of our rescued residents, and oversees the enrichment program for them, an essential and vital part of providing them with a healthy environment.
	Susan Burchett and Carole Breise - Volunteers - Membership/Events With a Masters degree in Business Administration, and over 20 years experience in Systems Consulting and Information Resources, Ms. Burchett brings an impressive resume of experience to Lions Tigers & Bears, including a background in financial services and software training. Her duties include fundraising procurement, Auction Pro Maestrosoft data entry, packaging and display of auction items. She also performs administrative support, and conducts educational and group visits.
	Cheryl Myers - Office Administrator/Event Coordinator Ms. Myers is a Certified Human Resources Executive and brings over 15 years experience in employment law, employee recruitment, training and management. Her skills from teh hospitality industry enable her to schedule volunteers, coordinate guest visits and perform all functions necessary to run our office smoothly on a day to day basis. members@lionstigersandbears.org
	Jon Myers - Communications & Media Jon is founder and Presidentof CRUSH PR & Strategic Communications and works with the sanctuary for community relations and communications. Jon has a strong background in environmental outreach and working with non-profits. He has spent the last several years in Sacramento with the Schwarzenegger adminstration and prior to that has worked for some of San Diego's finest public relations firms. Jon brings to the Lions Tigers & Bears table his resourcefulness and dexterity in securing permits for clients, passing initiatives and developing crisis communication plans for local organizations. jon@crush-pr.com
	Dr. Jane Meier - Veterinarian As a child, Dr. Meier never wanted to be anything but a veterinarian. She was one of 6 women in a class of 65 students to graduate from Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation and a 16 month internship in zoological medicine at the Zoological Society of San Diego, she accepted a staff position as an Associate Veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo, where she worked for 13 years. Dr. Meier then started a house call veterinary practice caring for exotic and domestic animals. Over the years, she began working for a number of animal nonprofit groups caring for zoo and wildlife species. Dr. Meier began working with Lions Tigers & Bears in January of 2003. Recently, she semiretired from her private practice so that she can concentrate on her work with her animal nonprofits, and spend more time with her own animals at her cabin in Idyllwild.
	Dr. Christi Garfinkel - Veterinarian A graduate of the highly regarded College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. She has been practicing in the East County area since 2000, and has built a reputation of providing high quality and compassionate care.
	Dr. Judy - Veterinarian Graduated from the University of Illinois in1978 and has his own practice since 1986. Primarily works with small animals.
	Dr. Peter G. Slusser - Veterinarian Dr. Slusser sees referrals in all aspects of internal medicine and oncology, including cases involving cardio-pulmonary disease, major organ dysfunction, infectious and hematological disease, gastroenterology and endocrine disorders. He opened Animal Internal Medicine in San Diego in 1989. Animal Internal Medicine merged with Veterinary Surgical Specialists in October 2009 to become Animal Specialty Group. Dr. Slusser completed his residency at the was an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Sara L. Ford, DVM, DACVIM - Veterinarian Earned her DVM degree in 1989 from the University of California Davis. She completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, followed by a residency in internal medicine at UC Davis. Dr. Ford became board certified in internal medicine in 1994. She has been practicing at our hospital since 1995. Dr. Ford is an advocate of compassionate therapeutics for the cancer patient. She is considered an expert in diabetic management and feline medicine. Dr. Ford has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters. She lectures frequently to veterinarians and animal health technicians.
	Dr. Fife - Veterinarian Attended the University of Miami where she earned her bachelor of science degree in Marine Biology, before obtaining her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. She then completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Michigan Veterinary Specialists in Southfield, Michigan and a second internship in ophthalmic pharmacology and drug discovery in Irvine, California. Dr. Fife completed a three-year veterinary ophthalmology residency program with Eye Care for Animals, after which she became a board certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
	Dr. Brook Niemiec, DVM - Veterinarian Diplomate, American Veterinary Dental College Fellow, Academy of Veterinary Dentistry Dr. Brook Niemiec is a 1994 graduate of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry as well as a Fellow in the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. Dr. Niemiec has been serving the dental needs of Southern California animals for more than a decade. In this time he has personally performed over 20,000 dental procedures, including: endodontic therapy (root canals and vital pulp therapy), oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontal therapy and surgery, orthodontics (braces), restorative and cosmetic dentistry, and prosthetic (crowns and bridges) dentistry. Dr. Niemiec, as one of seventy-three Board Certified Veterinary Dental specialists, is recognized internationally as one of the leading authorities in Veterinary Dentistry. In his spare time, Dr. Niemiec is an enthusiastic outdoorsman who favors hiking, fishing, skiing, camping and playing golf as well as visiting museums, attending live theater, and sporting events. He also enjoys daily trips to the beach with his Labrador Retriever, Caeli, and returns home to his black cat Nez. For more information on Dr. Niemiec see the curriculum vitae below.
	Dr. Heide Newton - Veterinarian Dr. Newton graduated in the top 10% of her class from the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. After graduation she worked as a general practitioner in small animal veterinary practices in Arizona and Texas. In 2003, she joined the Animal Dermatology Clinic and completed a residency, becoming a board certified Diplomate in veterinary dermatology with the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) in 2006. Since then, Dr. Newton has been enjoying practicing veterinary dermatology and currently sees patients in San Diego, Murrieta, and Carlsbad. Heide greatly enjoys her work as a veterinary dermatologist, especially her interactions with clients and their beloved pets. She and her husband currently have a large pet family, including 3 adopted dogs (Emma, Otis, and Heidi – Heidi came as an adult with her name), 1 cat (Monty), 5 chinchillas (Fivel, Mama, and their children Magellan, Michael, and Marjorie), 2 birds (Lucy and Linus), and 2 tortoises (Cuff and Link). In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and hiking.
	Dr. Lee Young - Veterinarian Lee Young, DVM Dr. Young is a graduate of Texas A&M University with over 22 years of experience in a variety of areas of veterinary medicine including small animal practice, emergency medicine, and exotic animal medicine. He completed a residency in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine at University of Florida and was a veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo for 7 years.